This invention relates generally to the field of a particulate dry product loading apparatus and in particular to pelletized catalyst loading apparatus.
The loading of pelletized catalyst in a reactor vessel of a chemical process has previously been a time consuming operation due to the critical requirements of preventing contamination or poisoning of the catalyst or damaging or breaking the pellets. Either catalyst contamination or an undesired pellet size of catalyst can have significant adverse effects on the operation of the chemical process employing the particulate catalyst and may require additional changing of expensive catalyst. Since the effectiveness of the catalyst also decreases in time, it has been necessary to shut down the chemical process employing the catalyst for long periods of time to replace the pelletized catalyst for these reasons.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,998 discloses a method of loading pelletized catalyst to minimize breakage, but the operation is slow and does not sort the particulate catalyst as to desired pellet size immediately prior to loading. U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,526 discloses a portable elevator for effecting faster catalyst loading, but the disclosed apparatus may damage the pellets and does not sort the catalyst pellets immediately prior to loading.
A portable catalyst sorting or screening apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,126, but the desired size catalyst material is directed into bucket or drum containers for loading in the manner disclosed in the two above-identified patents. U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,886 discloses an enclosed separation apparatus for pelletized catalyst similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,126, but catalyst loading is effected in the manner previously explained.